Bracing for scaffolds and the like



Dec. 15, 1953 J. A. KIRKPATRICK BRACING FOR SCAF'FOLDS AND THE LIKEFiled Dec. 7, 1950 INVENTOR.

' :9 1544 4 7- TOB/VZ' n5 Patented Dec. 15, 1953 BRACING FOR SCAFFOLDSAND THE John A. Kirkpatrick, Zelienople, Pa., assignor to UniversalManufacturing Corp.,

Zelienople,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application Dccember 7, 1950, SerialNo. 199,705

This invention relates to the bracing of metal scaffolds, bleachers andthe like, and more particularly to the braces and the brackets thatdetachably connect them to the legs of the structure being braced. Forthe sake of illustration this invention will be described as applied tometal scaffolds formed from spaced end panels that are connected byremovable braces, but it is not limited thereto.

It is among the obj ects'of this invention toprovide such bracing inwhich the braces are moved horizontally into and out of position, inwhich the ends of the braces cannot rotate in a vertical plane on thelegs they are bracing, in which the braces are retained in place bygravity-actuated 3 locking members, and in which the supporting membersfor the braces are simple in construction and inexpensive to make andfasten to the legs. I

According to this invention, horizontal pins of non-circular crosssection, preferably rectangular, are rigidly connected to a pair ofspaced vertical legs in such a manner as to project from the sides ofthe legs. For connecting the legs together a removable brace has endportions provided with openings for receiving the pins. Each of theseopenings is of substantially the same size and shape as the pins incross section so as to keep the bracefrom rotating on the pins. Bypreventing the brace from rotating on the pins, the'number of bracescanbe reduced. Thus, in a scaffold formed from end panels, only one braceneed be provided at each side of the scaffold between any given pair ofend panels. A movable locking member is supported by eachbrace-supporting pin and normally projects part way across the outerface of the adjoining end portion of the brace to hold the brace on thepin, but the locking member can be manually retracted to allow the braceto be removed from the pin. It is highly desirable that the lockingmember be gravityactuated so that it will drop into locking positionautomatically. Preferably, it is a latch which is pivotally mounted in avertical slot in the pin. When the outer end of the latch isswung-upward the brace on the pin can be slid outward over the latch andpulled off the pin.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of asection of a scaffold provided with my bracing; Fig. 2 is an enlargedfragmentary view taken on the line vIIII of Fig. l, to show the end ofone of the brace-supporting pins; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sec tionthrough a leg, showing the pin from above;

I 1Claim. (01. 304-40) crossed horizontalbraces 4.

frame.

and Fig. 4 is a combination side view and section I of the pin taken onthe line IV-IV of Fig. 3;

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, each of a pair of verticalprefabricated scaffold end frames of any suitable construction hastubular legs I that may be rigidly connected by horizontal cross members2 upon which wooden planking (not shown) may beplaced to form a workingplatform. When the scaffold is assembledthe end frames are held uprightby means of inclined side braces 3, and they may be further braced by Inorder to detachably connect the ends of the braces to the scaffold legs,supporting pins 6 are fastened to each leg near its upper and lowerends- As shown in Fig. 2, each pin "is non-circular in cross section,preferably'being rectangular. The legs are provided with holes of thesame shape as the pins for snugly receiving them. Each 'pin is insertedin a pairof holesin a leg 'with its opposite ends projecting therefrom,as

shown in Figs. Sand 4. One end projects only a short distance and'isconnected by a Weld I to the leg to anchor the pin in it. The other endof the pin projects a much greater distance from the leg, most suitablyfrom the inside of the leg, which is the side nearest to the other legof the same In this position the pins are more protected than if theyprojected from the outside of Y the legs. I

The long projecting portion of each pin is provided with a vertical slotB'that preferably extends entirely through it from top to-bottom andinward from its outer end toa point close to the leg that supports thepin. Loosely disposed in the slot is a latch 9, the inner end of whichis pivotally mounted on a rivet l0 extending across the inner end of theslot and having its heads countersunk in opposite sides of the pin sothat they will not project beyond the surface of the pin. At no point isthe vertical dimension of the latch greater than the height of the slot.It will be seen that the latch normally will swing down by gravity. Thelow inner corner of the latch strikes the inner end wall of the slotwhen the outerend of the latch has swung down a predetermined distanceto its lower or looking position shown in Fig. 4. The bottom of thelatch is provided with a two-sided notch I 2, the upper wall of which issubstantially horizontal when the latch is in its lower position. Atthat time the other wall of the notch is substantially vertical. Thisnotch reduces the depth of a portion of the latch in such a manner thatit can swing downward even though it is surrounded by the end of a braceon the pin. The notch also forms a projection or nose l3 between theouter end of the notch and the outer end of the latch, which projectsdown from the bottom of the pin when the latch is in its lower position.The lower surface H of the nose is inclined from its lowest pointoutward and upward to the outer end of the latch *in the pin .slot for apurpose-about to be described.

The braces 3 and 4 that are connected to the pins may be formed frommembers of any desired shape in cross section, butvtheir-endsvshouldabeprovided with openings of substantially the same size and shape as thepmsi'fi in tcross se'ction.

Each of the braces shown in the drawinghappens' 15' to be formed from alength of pipe-provided'at its ends with vertical slots-Min which short:metal plates l6 are welded. Each 'of'these plates is provided with arectangular opening I! lor more or less snugly receiving: one of therectangular upins. That is the ends lot the braces can he slidinwardover the pins. 'Thistype :of: connection -m'evmts the :bracefrom'irotating around the pins -and :thereby-makes-it feasible to useonlyaone I brace 3:at each sideof the scaffold between :each

pa-irfoiopanels. :Of course, two =or--more-braces acan he'd-136difdesired. The-wpins "proiect :far

enough Irom the'legs'to accommodate :at=-least three 'braces per pin.

::Whentheopening -11 in the iend of a brace is lined-up with' one' ofthe pins 6' and then .the brace is pushed inward -along*the =pintheslower :inclmed'surfa'ce I 4 :ofet-he" outer end of the latch :isengaged gbyntheubottom of "the brace opening and is forced upward,thereby swinging the-latch npintothe'pin. .--As soonas theend-of: thebrace passes: the latch nose -i.3, the latch will/drop down .nagainwandathe znose -will'- form" a lock -:that= will .:hold the brace on thepin. w-heniitris desired ato removeithe brace -from the pingthe 'outersend .of the-latch is raisedmanually tdthe broken line :po'sitionof'Figi 4 so that the brace can be pulled s dutalong the latch and offthe end-of the pin.

It"wi1l-- be seen that in this-bracing'the braces are held onthebracketsby latchesthat automatia cally swing down into locking position .bygravity -as-soon as the braces are slid inward over: them. The =-bracesthen-can :notsbe removed" from the pins until the. latches have beenswung: upward by hand into the pin slots. This locking 'mechanism is=-oi'. .simple-iconstructionand-there is mathing-v about. itto get outof: order orto cause itto fail to operate automatically. =-=No vertical:movement of ithe: braces: is required order to statutes," I haveexplained the principle of my invention and have illustrated anddescribed what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However,I-desire to have it understood that,

'withinthe scope ofthe appended claim, the ini .ventiommay be practicedotherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

.:A coupling for connecting a brace to a vertical leg, said couplingcomprising a horizontal pin adapted-to project from the side of said legand extend through a holeiin an end of said brace,

'the pin having a vertical'slot in it,''and a latch disposed in theslot'with .its inner end pivotally mounted therein, the latch:havinga-depending projectionat its outer endthat extends below the pin'tolockathe brace'thereon when-the latch swings'downwardby gravity,.thelatch :being provided with a'surfaceadaptedrto engage'the pin rat theinner .end :or: said slot to limit-downward swinging of said projection,band :the projection having a surface inclined :irom-its bottom outwardand .upward .toithe pin to causethe pro- :jection to swing upward whenabrace 1 is pushed inward over the pin and against said inclinedsurface. the outer end of l the latch being disposed :in theslot whenthe -latchis in-its'lower position.

J JOHN AL KIRKPATRICK.

References Cited in the :flle rot this p'atent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber Name Date "331,742 ..Subers Dec. 1, 1885 1,349,344 I ONeill .Aug.10,1920 1,360,924 I =Gilarski Nov. 30, 1920 -.1,'516, 347 Pataky Nov.'18, .1924 11,641,801 Connely "Sept. 6, 1927 1,713,277 Goldberg et a1.May 14, 1929 4,733,333 Coplan Oct-29,1929 l 2943,4198 -Uecker c June 9,1936 2,452,461 Harris -Oct. 26, 1948 F'OREIGN" PATENTS Number 'CountryDate 274,568 Germany May 25, .1914

